December 17, 2012

Fave Five of 2012: DVDs

This year I
think I saw a fair number of movies on DVD, but I think I've probably
seen fewer this year than in year's past, and I'd say that's because
there just weren't as many to get excited about. After seeing some of
the highly anticipated movies bomb at the box office or get skewered
by critics and fans alike, my eagerness to sit down and watch them
waned. John Carter, for
example, wasn't as bad as some led me to believe, but it was
certainly a disappointment.

But
rather than lament the poor showing from the movies I took the time
to watch this year, I thought I'd highlight five of the DVDs that
came out in 2012 that I really enjoyed and would recommend to just
about any movie lover. And they are:

The
Cabin in the Woods -
My favorite horror movie of 2012. I haven't seen many, I grant you
that, but how many--particularly from the Hollywood fare--measure up
to this high-octane satire of the genre.
And I think I would have loved the movie even more if I had never
seen the trailer.

Drive
-
When I sat down to watch this movie, I had no idea it was based on a
novel. Well, if the book is even half as good as the movie--and,
let's face it, books are usually better--then I have got to read that
book. The cast is phenomenal, surpassed only by the story ... and
maybe the soundtrack.

Hanna
-
I'm
inclined to call this movie Hunger
Games for
grownups. A teen girl, raised by a secret agent, is sent on a mission
to assassinate a C.I.A. operative and winds up on an odyssey of
suspense and revelation--with a whole lot of ass-kicking.

Silent
House -
Watching
this movie, I think I know why the Olsen twins weren't very good
actors: their little sister is hogging all the talent. Despite
finding the ending to be fairly predictable, the camera work and lead
performance kept me captivated the whole way through.

Tinker,
Tailor, Soldier, Spy-
This
was just a good ol' fashioned spy thriller that relied more on the
script than the stunt work. Stellar performances all around and one
more reason to worship Gary Oldman.